Since the pandemic, more companies have shifted to a work-from-home environment. While there are many benefits remote working arrangements offer for employees, managers may find it challenging to handle. Since this is fairly new after everyone has been accustomed to office environments, managers are finding ways to ensure their remote workers stay productive and satisfied with their jobs.
From online compliance training to efficient communication tools, here are ways to keep your remote workers productive to their (and the business’) advantage.
- Set expectations
Be sure that you provide guidelines and set boundaries, reviewing the basics when you set out on a new project. Remote workers will have questions during this time, so be sure that you stay accessible and that you stay clear with the milestones and priorities.
Talk about all the team’s availability to make sure they can be reached as needed. Also, you should establish expectations in terms of responding and communicating during after-work hours. That way, your remote workers will maintain a healthier work-life balance, appreciating you for respecting their boundaries and personal time.
- Be organized and flexible
When working as a remote team, you should have flexible hours, which will maintain consistency. While it’s necessary to have a concrete plan, you should also be open to adjusting your strategies when needed.
Also, be flexible in terms of the work times your employees choose to put their hours in. We all live different lifestyles when working at home, so whenever they clock in their hours during the morning or night, it doesn’t matter! Focus more on the job quality and its completion instead, whatever has your employees work well and on time.
- Change the length of meetings
What would usually work in an office setting may not work in remote settings. Rather than go for lengthy meetings, go for short virtual ones instead. This will avoid spending too much time on meetings and reducing work productivity.
You should also apply this thinking towards scheduling, team resourcing, as well as action planning.
The same goes for training new employees. For instance, when they go through compliance training, you can opt to use a tool like True Office Learning for them to learn at their own pace rather than keep the training program too long.
- Focus on communication
Communication is an absolute must, especially when it comes to remote work! Consider what communication tools fit best based on your team’s culture, may it be through texts and phone calls, email and video chats, Zoom or Skype, let your team decide.
Also, make sure to have a balance between messaging employees constantly and keeping silent. The communication styles may differ among your remote workers. That’s why it’s best to ask them how they’d like to be managed.
Besides communicating with them, make sure that they know you are there to listen. This establishes a connection, building trust and respect among your employees. Don’t micromanage but always be available to the team if they need any help or would like to update you on their project status.
Wrapping It Up
Utilize these tips to ensure that your employees feel satisfied with their jobs, making them want to be more productive even in the remote work setup.
